Synonyms of dissemble

dissemble

verb

di-ˈsem-bəl 

1

as in to pretend

to present a false appearance of

he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pretend
• assume
• simulate
• act
• feign
• affect
• pass (for)
• conceal
• profess
• bluff
• make believe
• put on
• counterfeit
• fake
• pose
• forge
• sham
• play
• dissimulate
• imitate
• masquerade
• disguise
• camouflage
• impersonate
• let on
• playact
• mask
• feint
• malinger

2

as in to dissimulate

to take on a false or deceptive appearance

children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pretend
• dissimulate
• make believe
• make a show
• let on
• pose
• act
• make out
• play
• put on an act
• conceal
• make a pretense
• put up a front
• masquerade
• feign
• simulate
• affect
• impersonate
• disguise
• playact
• profess
• assume
• camouflage
• fake
• put on
• sham
• counterfeit
• mask
• bluff
• feint

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dissemble

With his multi-instrumentalist bandmates, PJ Moore and co-songwriter Robert Bell, Buchanan zooms into these exchanges to prolong them or dissembles them into jagged pieces that leave the bigger picture to us. — Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 1 Feb. 2026

Authorities were forced to dissemble the back deck in order to rescue some of the pups that were beneath, according to the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, who assisted with the efforts. — David Matthews, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025

Building trust in companies and their leaders isn’t easy, given many decades of dissembling. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!